Pneumatic metal pump



* Feb. 2, 1932. TORNBERG 1,843,491

PNEUMATI C METAL PUMP Driginal Filed April 2 O 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet lFeb. 2, 1932.V l. TORNBERG i 1,843,491

PNEUMATIC METAL PUMP Original Filed April 20, 192e 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented Feb. 2, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ISIDOR TORNBERG, OFPLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO WOOD NEWSPAPER MACHINERYCORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION 0F VIRGINIA 'PNEUMATIGMETAL PUMP Application filed April 20, 1926, Serial This inventionrelates to a pneumatic pump. Although capable of other uses it isdesigned particularly for use in stereotype casting machines for fillingthe molds with molten metal.

The principal objects of the invention are to provide an improvedpneumatic means for insuring the delivery of the metal to the mold; toprovide a pneumatic pump which can be operated in a plant in which thereis no source of compressed air or in which it is not desired to use thesame; to create pulsations of compressed air on the metal and under thecontrol of the operating mechanism to maintain a constant supply for thecasting operation; and to do away with the necessity for using thevalves for controlling the air pressure, thus simplifying theconstruction and providing for great reliability.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is aplan of a part of a melting pot and mold including the air supply means;

Fig. 2 is an elevation, partly in section, of the air pump;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the metal pump in the melting pot; and

Figs. 4 and 5 are central sectional views showing a modication with theparts in two positions.

This constitutes an improvement over the construction shown in mypending application for patent on a pneumatic ladle pump, Serial No.85,570, iiled February 2, 1926.

In that case the same kind of a metal pump is used as I now employ butinstead of depending on the air pressure in a compressed air system andadmitting it to the metal pump periodically by means of a valve, Iprovide for creating the air pressure by the mechanism of the castingmachine and producing pulsations which act on the metal in No. 103,198.Renewed .Tune 17, 1931.

the pump to force it out in substantially the same way as in that case.

Referring to the drawings, I have shown a pump 10 located in the meltingpot 11 near lone side and mostly below the level of the molten metal.Extending up from the pump 10 is a discharge tube 14 which enters aswinging spout 15. The interior of `this spout is not shown in thiscase, as it is fully described and claimed inmy above mentioned pendingcase. At any rate the construction shown therein can be used with thisinvention and does not constitute a part thereof.

In the bottom of the metal pump 10, is a valve 16 which is provided witha stem 19 extending downwardly and guided in a guide 18 forming a partof a removable valve seat 17 which is secured in the'bottom of the pump.This valve is free to rise and fall. It opens by the aid of the suctionon top and the pressure of the metal in the pot on the outside andcloses by gravity assisted by the rush of metal toward it caused by theair pressure above.

The casting box 25 is provided with .the usual rotating core which has agear 26 on its top, operated by a pinion 27 on a rotating horizontalshaft 28. This shaft is connected by a clutch 29 to ashaft 30 drivenconstantly from a vertical driving shaft 24. Thus the core will berotated when the clutch is thrown in as usual.

On the shaft 30 is a crank 31 operating a Vpiston rod 32 having a piston33 thereon.

my above identified application. The action ot the air pump delivers anintermittent but a practically uninterrupted flow of air to the metalpump 10 and forces the metal up into the discharge spout 15, whence itflows by gravity into the mold 25. Means can be provided, as in my saidcase, for storing and delivering a single charge of metal to the moldwhen needed.

When the pressure of air is released by the raising of the piston 33,there is an opportunity for the metal in the pot 11 to flow into thepump 10 by pressure against the lower side oi the valve 16. ln this wayenough metal is introduced into the pump constantly to keep its level upso that it can be used for the casting of plates.

In this way, it will be seen that the device can be used in places wherethere is no source of compressed air or independently of it, if there isany. The same results as secured in the above identified application aresecured automatically without any valve for controlling the introductionof air into the metal pump. This constitutes a simpler construction andhas the utmost reliability. lt is independent of the degree of pressurein any air supply and its operation is uniform.

In Figs. 4 and 5 I show another method of ,accomplishing the samepurpose, except that means are provided for the retention of the columnof metal within the discharge tube 14, so that it is necessary for eachpulsation of air to raise only the amount of metal which it is desiredto ej ect into the ladle. As will be clear from a study of theconstruction shown in Figs. 1 and 9., each pulsation of the air pumpwill cause the metal within the discharge tube 14 to rise and empty someof its contents into the ladle 20. At the release oi the air pressure atthe end of each pulsation the metal in the discharge tube 14, which hasnot been ejected into the ladle, falls baclr and returns into chamber10.

In Figs. 4 and 5, l show the addition of a ch eck valve 38 to whatconstitutes the bottom of the discharge tube 14. Fig. 4 shows therelative positions of the parts when the piston of the air pump rises tothe top of the cylinder, thereby withdrawing whatever air happens to betrapped in the tube 37, connecting Ythe air pump with the metal pump. Inthis position the valve 16 is opened by the inrush of metal from the potinto the upper chamber 40, as well as by the diti'erence in specificgravity of the iron of which the valve is composed and the comparativelyheavier metal constitutingthe melt. By the same action and because ,ofthe pressure due to the head within the discharge tube 14the valve 38 isbrought up against its seat in the bottom oi a chamber 40. rlhe chamber40 thereby iills with metal from within the melting pot. `When thel airpump descends on its downward stroke, as shown in Fig. 5, the

pressure of air created thereby enters through a tube 41 into thechamber 40. This closes the inlet valve 16 and opens the check valve 38,forcing metal within the chamber 40, past the check valve 38 and intothe discharge tube 14, and ejecting some of it into the ladle. By meansof this construction, it is evident that it is necessary only to raisethe comparatively small amount of metal which is to be ejected at eachpulsation of the air pump into the ladle 20 instead of raising thecomparatively larger quantity of metal required by the constructionshown in Fig. 3.

Although I have illustrated and described only two forms of theinvention l am aware of the fact that modifications can be made thereinby any person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of theinvention as expressed in the claims. Therefore l do not wish to belimited in these respects, but what l do claim is i 1'.. The combinationwith a casting mold, means for operating it, and a pneumatic pump forintroducing metal into the mold, of means connected with said moldoperating means for compressing air and introducing it into the pumpintermittently throughout the time'of operation of said operating means,and means for disconnecting the mold from the operating means withoutstopping the air compressor.

2. rlhe combination with a pneumatic metal pump for introducing moltenmetal into a mold, of means operative continuously for compressing airand supplying the airl to the metal in the pump intermittently to forcethe metal therefrom continuously.

3. ln a pneumatic metal pump, the combination of a pot for molten metal,a pump casing submerged therein having a discharge tube for the metal, avalve adapted to be seated by gravity for preventing the'metal fromescaping past the valve, said valve being adapted to be forced from itsseat by the pressure of the metal in the pot when there is reduced airpressure on the metal in the pump casing, with. an oscillatable cylinderconnected with the metal pump for delivering compressed air thereto, apiston in the cylinder, and a shaft having an eccentric pin connectedwith the piston for operating it, whereby when the pump oscillates thepiston will reciprocate to produce pressure in the pump casing. l

4. ln a pneumatic metal pump, the combination of a pump casing submergedin a metal pot and having a valve adapted to be seated by gravity and bythe rush of metal past it for preventing the metal from 4escaping pastthe valve, said valve being adapted to be .torced from its seat by thepressure of the metal in the pot when there is reduced air pressure onthe metal in the pump casing to introduce metal into ythe pump casing,and the pump having a delivery spout, and check valve between saideasing and the spout arranged to close when the air pressure is releasedto hold the metal in the spout until the pressure is again applied.

5. The combination with a pneumatic metal pump submerged in the metal ina melting pot and having a discharge tube open at the top for deliveringmetal, of a single acting air pump outside the pot and connected todeliver air under pressure intermittently to the surface of the metal inthe pump to force the metal therefrom up the discharge tube and forcesome of it out of the open top thereof at each pulsation.

ln testimony whereof I have hereunto afiiXed my signature.

ISIDO'R TORNBERG.

